Former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan has agreed to accept at least US$31 million from Gawker Media to settle his lawsuit over publication of a sex tape, court documents showed.
The settlement was revealed on Wednesday in court documents in the case which drove the gossip-focused media group into bankruptcy.
The case also divided media and press-freedom advocates after it was revealed that Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel had funded Hogan’s case as part of an effort to drive Gawker out of business.
Hogan – whose real name is Terry Bollea – had been awarded $140 million by a Florida court for invasion of privacy over publication of the video showing him having sex with a friend’s wife.
The settlement calls for him to be paid $31 million plus a share of Gawker assets sold as part of the bankruptcy process, according to documents in the New York bankruptcy court. (AFP)
